Irish Software Engineer / Web Developer ( http://www.zephyr-ireland.com ) with over 10 years IT / In...
Irish Software Engineer / Web Developer ( http://www.zephyr-ireland.com ) with over 10 years IT / Internet Experience. You can visit my personal websites at www.shanemcdonald.com and www.shanemcdonald.org if you wish to know more about me.
Member since:20.02.2004
Reviews:11
Members who trust:3
I stayed in Sydney for over 10 months in 2003 and the hardest thing I had to do was to leave the place. Sydney is an amazing city, with so much to do you will never get bored. From the Harbour area to the beaches of Bondi - theres something for everyone.
When we arrived we did the usual tourist trips, Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Trips on the Harbour Ferries, Centrepoint Tower but as time went on we found a hidden Sydney. These are areas or items in Sydney which are not on the usual tourist trail. Places like Suzannah Place in the Rocks which documents early life around 1830, and how the working classes lived. It is a living museum. Other areas of interest included Balmain, Manly, Paddington and Potts Point.
We were lucky enough to be there for the New Years Eve fireworks and they are as amazing as people say. However if you are attending the fireworks you need to get a good spot early on in the day. We had to be at Farm Cove around 5pm to get a good view.
Eating Out in Sydney is cheap compared to Irish prices. There are some great restaurants such as City Extra at Circular Quays, open 24 hours and items from a cup of coffee to a full meal with desserts. Venice Beach on Kellet St., Darlinghurst combines Asian cuisine with Australian and Mike the chef will tantalize your tastebuds with his various menu items.
Transport in Sydney is very efficient and very cheap also. Busses, trains and ferries combine and you can usually get from Kings Cross to North Sydney in about 20-25 minutes - it can take a bit more in rush hour but if you know your train times you can do your best to avoid these rushes.
I have listed the Top 10 Things we did in Sydney, along with some details. These are listed in order of preference :
1) Helicopter Trip Over Sydney Cloud 9 Helicopters, Hangar 520, Tower Road, Bankstown Airport, Bankstown (02) 9771 3654 Cost $600 for 2 persons and period of one hour.
2) Sydney Aquarium Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour, Sydney (02) 9262 2300 Cost about $12 per person - look out for vouchers in Backpacker guides and City Guides
3) Sydney Opera House Tour Sydney Opera House, Bennellong Point, Sydney (02) 9250 7777 Costs about $15 per person and lasts one hour.
4) Blue Mountains Wilderness Tour The A4 Tour Departs from the McDonalds at Circular Quays at 8:20am., Sydney Call (02) 9637 4466 for details Costs about $85 and lasts all day.
5) Chinese Gardens Located near Darling Harbour, Sydney (02) 9281 6863 The Chinese Gardens of Friendship are one of only a few gardens outside China. Only costs $4 to get in and you can stay as long as you want.
6) Captain Cook Cruises No.6 Jetty, Circular Quay, Sydney (02) 9206 1111 This guided tour around the harbour has refreshments and is reasonably priced. Commentary provided. Great way to get good photos.
7) Taronga Zoo Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman (02) 9969 2777 Excellent Location overlooking the harbour. Just over $20 entrance fee.
8) Sydney Observatory Watson Rd, Millers Point, The Rocks, Sydney (02) 9217 0485 This Historical Observatory was a key to shipping in the local area and day and night tours are available. We went to both tours and found both to be well run.
9) AMP Centrepoint Tower 100 Market St, Sydney, Sydney (02) 9223 0933 Overlooking all of Sydney from a height of 350m it is the tallest observation desk in the southern hemisphere. Again, a great way to get good photos.
10) Star CityCasino 80 Pyrmont St., Pyrmont, Sydney (02) 9777 9000 Try your luck in the Casino or you can get a very good meal at Star City.
Overall Sydney is a great city, one I hope to revisit over and over again. I have never visited a place I wanted to live in, but Sydney is an exception. It is a very liveable city with a great emphasis on entertainment, living, the family and providing free events during the year.
Pictures of Sydney (Australia)
Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House
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Advantages: It's SYDNEY, y'know the one with the opera house and the bridge? Disadvantages: It's a city that not only sleeps but also stops eating hours before bedtime
zoe_page 26.02.2006 (26.02.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Sydney (Australia)
![Sydney Australia'S Premier City [DVD] [NTSC]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/83341246.jpg "Sydney Australia'S Premier City [DVD] [NTSC]")
Feb 20th, 2004
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